Devices for treating a disc-shaped substrate which are used in connection with photolithography methods are known in the art. By a photolithography method, microstructured components can be produced, for example integrated circuits, semiconductor chips or microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs). In the production method, a mask is initially loaded into the device. Afterwards, a substrate (“wafer”) is coated with a photoresist (“resist”) and subsequently illuminated through the mask. The illumination changes the physical and/or chemical properties of the photoresist applied to the substrate partially. Subsequently, the photoresist can be removed in regions defined by the mask. The treated substrate can subsequently be processed further.
The mask used for producing the microstructured component is loaded into the device by positioning it in the device using a support (“chuck”). The support is typically orientated exactly towards the mask to ensure that the mask is introduced into the device in a predefined position. A support of this type is also known as a mask-loading support. Within the device, at least one holding means is provided, which can receive the mask from the support and hold it in such a way that the mask is loaded by the device. Subsequently, the (coated) substrate is laid in the device, another support suitable for supporting the substrate initially having to be installed in the device for this purpose. A support of this type is known as a process support.
It has been found to be disadvantageous that when different microstructured components are produced using different masks the support has to be changed every time a new mask is to be loaded.
The object of the invention is to provide an option by means of which different microstructured components can be produced efficiently.